To Find What is Lost

Chapter 35: Speech

Hi!! So... my daily updates may possibly now be bi-daily updates... I'm as confused as you are. Basically I'll try to do it as much as I can but I've given up setting a time for it so, 🤷. The Nico in a crown picture was a must, I'm sorry. Remember to vote & comment -Emmi

-----------------------------------

Lights were everywhere, dancing, hanging on every eave and pillar and crazy unrealistic buttress; the great hall had been transformed into something beautiful and magical (literally), and somehow McGonagall had created living snow which fell in an eternal loop from the frosty ceiling to rest on the floor.

When it reached the floor the snow leapt up into swirling masses of statues and beautiful forms like running animals, before collapsing down into non-existence only to be replaced by more snow falling from above. Magically none of the white stuff touched the large circular dance-floor in the centre of the room, gliding down around it as if bouncing off a great invisible orb.

The house tables had been removed from the centre of the room and smaller tables were scattered around in the snow, laden with all kinds of food from comfort pies and chips to strange and wonderful exotic meals, probably as of yet unheard of in Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry.

Students and teachers alike were laughing and chatting in a huge variety of beautiful clothing; Luna was across the room talking to a moving snow rabbit, her dress was like silver moonbeams, falling around her as if it really were made of shining grey light. She looked beautiful with her hair tumbling over her shoulders like always, and Nico was delighted to see that she still had her radish earrings on.

As more and more students filled into the hall, Nico eventually lost track of who he knew and who he didn't, and just tried not to panic. He still didn't have a speech, he had tried, and tried and tried, but it just didn't work! Now he had no choice but to improvise. He kind of wished he had wiped the speech from McGonagall's mind as well when he had the chance, but of course that would have been stupid and risky. Still though.

He wondered how long he still had before the ball's royalty were expected to give their speeches, he hadn't seen Hermione enter yet but then again he was hiding behind a curtain at the back of the room with Will, so he assumed she might well do something similar. He wondered for a moment who her partner would be, then he shook it away, of course she'd take Weasley.

His attention was diverted then as he saw Pansy and Blasie enter through the huge double doors, Blaise was looking (on the outside at least) happy and at ease, and Pansy looked (on the outside as well as the inside) absolutely delighted.

The two chatted with a few people on their way in, and Nico saw that they were holding hands. He wondered where Draco was, and for a second his mind wandered, who would Draco take as his partner? He scowled at himself internally and banished the thought, it would probably just be some random Slytherin girl. He was starting to get uneasy, of the couples he could see so far in the Great Hall not a single one was anything but straight, he wondered how Hogwarts would take him and Will.

As he played with his new silver crown in his hands, he kept watching the door. Luckily a few minutes later a gay couple entered, Gryffindors Nico thought, but at least they wouldn't be the only ones.

Will seemed to notice them too, "that must be Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan," he said quietly to Nico, though there was no point really as the noise in the hall was so loud anyway no one would hear them.

Nico looked at him with raised eyebrows, "You've been here four days and you already know more people than me!"

Will rolled his eyes with a smile, "I just can't believe you didn't ask around about homosexuals at Hogwarts yet." he said, "It took about five seconds for Pansy to tell me everything, apparently there's a few people here; these two, a lesbian couple from Hufflepuff, and another bi girl in Gryffindor."